Georgia, Villanova Meet in Philly

December 13, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Game Notes

Georgia Lady Bulldog Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (6-3) vs. Villanova (7-2)
Friday, Dec. 14 | 7 p.m. ET
Finneran Pavilion (6,500) | Villanova, Pa.
Radio: Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network - 960 AM in Athens (Jeff Dantzler)
TV: None
Video: Villanova.com (Nick Mantegna)

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Probable Starters

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Joni Taylor
69-35 (4th year) at UGA
69-35 (4th year) overall
G	0	Taja Cole	11.2	5.7
5-8; RS-Jr.; Richmond, Va./Louisville
G	2	Gabby Connally	11.3	1.6
5-6; So.; San Antonio, Texas/Brandeis HS
G	12	Kaila Hubbard	4.0	2.6
5-10; Fr.; Jonesboro, Ga.
F	3	Stephanie Paul	5.9	4.9
6-1; Jr.; Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples
F	4	Caliya Robinson	14.8	9.3
6-3; Sr.; Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS

TEAM COMPARISON

GEORGIA LADY BULLDOGS		VILLANOVA WILDCATS
66.2	Scoring	63.9
41.5%	FG%	42.6%
27.1%	3FG%	32.2%
44.4	Rebounds	35.4
16.2	Assists	15.8
6.4	Blocks	4.4
8.8	Steals	5.7
54.0	Scoring Def.	53.7
33.2%	FG% Def.	34.1%
22.4%	3FG% Def.	25.5%
+9.4	Reb. Margin	-1.4
+0.1	T/O Margin	-0.2
1.1	Ast-T/O Ratio	1.2

Georgia, Villanova Meet in Philly

Georgia makes a trip to Philadelphia on Friday to take on 2018 NCAA Tournament participant Villanova at 7 p.m. ET inside the Finneran Pavilion. The game is available on Villanova.com/watch with Nick Mantegna on the call.

Series History: Lady Bulldogs and Wildcats Have Played Just Once Before

Georgia and Villanova have met just once in program history, with that contest coming in 1986 at the Texaco-Wildcat Christmas Classic. Behind a game-high 24 points from Sherelle Warren, the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats, 71-60. Joining Warren in the scoring column was Lady Bulldog great Katrina McClain, who finished with 13 points and eight boards.

Scouting Villanova

Led by Harry Perretta, who is in his 41st year at his current post, the Wildcats enter Friday's contest on a four-game win streak and are led by Mary Gedaka, who averages 14.4 ppg to go along with 7.8 rpg. Villanova runs a Princeton-style offense and averages just over nine 3-pointers made per game as a team. Last season, the Wildcats finished with a 23-9 overall record en route to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to eventual national champion Notre Dame.

Lady Bulldogs Set for Last Non-conference Tilt Away from Home

Friday's game represents Georgia's last road non-conference game this season. The Lady Bulldogs, who are a perfect 5-0 at home, are 1-3 overall this season away from Stegeman Coliseum. Following this weekend's game, Georgia returns home to host Lipscomb and Georgia Southern.

Cole, Robinson Among SEC Leaders

Georgia's Taja Cole leads the SEC in assists (54) and assists per game (6.0) through nine games. Cole has dished out five or more dimes in seven of nine games, including an 11-assist performance against Winthrop. Georgia senior Caliya Robinson is the SEC's active career blocked shots leader with 235 total in her career.

Georgia Gives Back at 12th Annual Bike Build

The Lady Bulldogs traded basketballs for a set of wrenches at the team's annual Bike Build this past Saturday inside Stegeman Coliseum.

Now in its 12th season, the Bike Build offers an opportunity for the Lady Bulldogs, along with Fastbreak Club members, to assemble bikes, which will be distributed throughout schools in Athens/Clarke County, the Boys & Girls Club of Athens and the Jackson County Family Connection.

"This is something we look forward to each and every year," head coach Joni Taylor said. "To see all those little boys and girls light up when they get their new bike is just such a special feeling. As a mother, I know how sweet this time of year is, and it's our hope that this Bike Build goes a long way in helping so many families this Holiday season."

Georgia's Bike Build started under Hall of Fame head coach Andy Landers and Taylor has continued the tradition through her four seasons at the helm of the program. All told, Georgia has partnered with Academy Sports + Outdoors to assemble over 600 bikes since 2007.

This year, Academy Sports + Outdoors donated 63 bikes.

Lady Bulldogs Add Top Prospects in 2019 Signing Class

The initial signing period was a good one for the Lady Bulldogs as Georgia signed three players who are among some of the best in the nation. Currently, the Lady Bulldogs' 2019 class ranks 14th overall by ESPNW.

Mitchellville, Maryland native and five-star guard Chloe Chapman was the first to ink with Georgia. Chapman, a five-star prospect, is the No. 28 overall recruit and No. 7 point guard according to ESPNW. Later in the week, Georgia announced the signing of five-star forward Javyn Nicholson from Lawrenceville, Georgia. Nicholson is ranked No. 6 among the country's top power forwards. Another Georgia native, Jordan Isaacs from Alpharetta, rounds out Georgia's class. She is a five-star player according to Prospects Nation and No. 14 overall forward according to ESPNW.

Paul Gets First Double-Double

Georgia junior Stephanie Paul recorded her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Furman on Dec. 4. Paul, who has started every game this season, has scored in double figures in back-to-back contests with 10 points against Charleston Southern on Dec. 2.

Georgia Has Led in All Three Losses

In each of Georgia's three losses this season, the Lady Bulldogs have led in the game. Against UCLA, Georgia built a 12-point advantage and led for over 30 minutes. Against Tech, the Lady Bulldogs led by five points, while they erased a 15-point deficit against Maryland to build a two-point lead late in the second half. Georgia was outscored in the fourth quarter, 62-41, in those losses.

Young Pups

With eight underclassmen and just four upperclassmen, the Lady Bulldogs are the youngest team in the Southeastern Conference. Of the seven freshmen and sophomores who have been able to play (minus Que Morrison due to injury), all of them are averaging over 10 minutes per game during the 2018-19 season.

Filling the Void Left by Que Morrison

On Nov. 1, SEC All-Freshman Team selection Que Morrison had surgery to repair a lateral meniscus in her left knee. That forced Gabby Connally to start at the two guard spot and the combination of Maya Caldwell, freshman Caitlin Hose and freshman Kaila Hubbard at the three guard, with each of those four players starting for the first time in their careers.

Robinson Inching Closer to Blocked Shots Record; Staiti Among SEC Leaders

Georgia's lone senior Caliya Robinson needs just 63 more blocks to break the school record of 297 set by Tawana McDonald during her four-year career from 1998-2002. Robinson is not the only Lady Bulldog shot blocker. Jenna Staiti actually ranks fourth in the SEC in blocks with 18 total this season.

Cole the SEC Leader in Assists

Redshirt-junior guard Taja Cole is off to a strong start this season as Georgia's third-leading scorer with 11.2 points per game. Cole also leads the SEC in assists with 54 total, an average of 6.0 per contest. The Richmond, Virginia native has scored in double figures in six games.

Exceeding Expectations Under Taylor

Georgia continued its upward trend under head coach Joni Taylor last season. The Lady Bulldogs finished tied with South Carolina for second place in the final SEC standings after being picked eighth in the preseason poll. It's a trend that goes all the way back to Taylor's first year, when her squad was picked ninth and finished sixth. Then, in 2016-17, Georgia was picked 12th and finished eighth.

Defense Travels Year In and Year Out

Georgia's mantra over the last few years has been Defense Travels. The Lady Bulldogs put up impressive defensive numbers last year, finishing first in the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (35.1 percent), second in blocked shots (196), second in turnovers forced (18.6 per game) and second in scoring defense (57.6 ppg). Those defensive numbers are reflective of Coach Taylor's first three seasons as head coach. In her tenure, Georgia is 25-0 when holding opponents to 50 points or less and has been one of the leading defensive teams in the league.

Most Wins Since 2013

The team's 26-7 overall record last year marked Georgia's most wins in a single season since 2012-13. The Lady Bulldogs stormed out to a 12-1 start at the conclusion of non-conference play and then defeated three ranked SEC opponents to finish with a 12-4 league record.

Among the Lady Bulldogs' most impressive wins was a 92-84 overtime win at Texas A&M and two victories against Missouri. The 12 wins in league play marked the most for Georgia since the team made the Elite Eight in 2012-13.

Georgia Set for Primetime

Eleven of Georgia's 16 SEC games are set to air nationally on either ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU or the SEC Network.

Among the games selected for television, ESPN will carry the Lady Bulldogs' home contest against Tennessee on Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. Georgia will also host Alabama (Jan. 27, 2 p.m.) and Florida (Feb. 10, noon) on ESPNU and Texas A&M (Jan. 20, 4 p.m.) on ESPN2.

Georgia's SEC Network schedule includes road matchups at Mississippi State (Jan. 10, 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT), Missouri (Jan. 17, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT), Auburn (Feb. 3, 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT), South Carolina (Feb. 14, 7 p.m.) and Alabama (Feb. 24, 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT).

The SEC Network will also broadcast home games against Ole Miss on Monday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and Kentucky on Sunday, March 3 at 1 p.m.

Taylors Expecting Second Child

Jacie Taylor will be gaining a new brother or sister this spring as Coach Taylor and her husband Darius are expecting their second child. The baby is due to come sometime in the month of February. Taylor will still coach this season, but any head coaching duties during her absence will be handled by associate head coach Karen Lange. During Taylor's last pregnancy, Lange coached the first six games of the 2016-17 season, going 4-2 during that span.

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